Upright prefabricated wall systems formed by a series of interconnected wall panels, as conventionally utilized for dividing large open areas into smaller work spaces, frequently employ cover tiles or pads attached to opposite sides of an interior upright frame for providing increased flexibility with respect to overall aesthetics, acoustics and practicality of use. The detachable cover tiles, there typically being one or more such cover tiles attached to each side of the panel frame, are conventionally provided with a clip, such as a spring or hook, associated with each corner thereof for engagement within openings associated with the panel frame. While many of the known constructions for the cover tiles and specifically the corner clips have operated satisfactorily with respect to their attachment cooperation between the cover tile and the frame, there is nevertheless a continuing need to provide improved characteristics with respect to the cover tile clips and their cooperation between the cover tile and the frame, particularly with respect to the economies and efficiencies of manufacturer of the clips, their ease of attachment to the tile and their cooperation with the frame, and the compactness of the clips and their cooperation between the tile and frame to provide a desirable overall compact relationship with respect to the assembled wall panel.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved cover pad or tile which is adapted for releasable attachment to an upright panel frame, and more specifically to an improved clip which mounts on the cover tile for permitting detachable engagement with the panel frame.
According to the present invention, there is provided an improved cover tile for releasable cooperation with one side of an upright wall panel frame. The cover tile has a pair of elongate reinforcing rails fixed to the rear side thereof, which rails extend in parallel relationship adjacent longitudinally extending edges of the cover tile so that the rail ends terminate adjacent the corners of the tile. A pair of connector clips are engaged on each rail adjacent opposite ends thereof for disposition in close proximity to the adjacent corners of the tile. Each connector clip includes a main channel-like body which is transversely slidably moved into engagement with the rail, and this body has a transversely protruding projection formed either as a spring or as a hook for cooperation with an opening formed in the panel frame. The main body of the connector clip, in one of the legs of the channel-shaped body, has a transversely deformed positioning tab adapted for cooperation with a positioning notch formed in the rail to ensure that the connector clip, when engaged on the rail, is properly positioned lengthwise along the rail. The leg of the channel-shaped body also has a locking tab deformed transversely therefrom for cooperation with an edge or shoulder formed on the respective rail to fixedly positionally secure the clip on the rail in the transverse direction thereof during slidable engagement of the clip on the rail. The connector clip is preferably formed as a monolithic one-piece member, as by being deformed from a thin metal sheet or plate, thereby providing significant economies and efficiencies of manufacture, while providing a thin and space-saving compact configuration.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with constructions of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “rightwardly”, “leftwardly”, “upwardly” and “downwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. These terms will also be used with reference to directions which are perceived when the wall panel and/or cover tile is viewed in a normal upright assembled or disassembled condition. The terms “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the wall panel or cover tile, and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.